System in transport service to inform passenger of available space

Abstract

To provide a system that informs passengers of available space as accurately as possible and that integrates the function of monitoring and predicting the number of passengers on transport means.SOLUTION: A passenger transportation system includes passenger transportation vehicles, each vehicle has multiple existing space sections for passengers at entrance / exit areas, the system includes a first sensor installed in each vehicle for detecting the number of passengers in each passenger space section in real time, second sensors installed in waiting areas and / or transit areas at multiple stops for detecting the number of passengers in real time, a learning database adapted to store historical passenger number and congestion data for multiple operating periods, a processing complex configured to estimate passenger alighting and embarking flows and spaces available for passengers and means for indicating passenger space availability adapted to provide a signal of passenger space availability or non-availability in the space sections of the transportation vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to passenger transport services and systems, for example public transport systems, in particular transport systems based on the circulation of motor vehicles and train carriages, such as, by way of purely non-limiting example, rail cars.

[0002] More specifically, the subject of the invention is a system for signaling available spaces for passengers of a transport system, for example a public transport system, according to the preamble of claim 1 . [Background technology]

[0003] Generally, for transportation between multiple stops on one or more urban or suburban transportation lines of a transportation network in a given region, a passenger transportation system with multiple transportation means, whether cars or trains of passenger cars, allows a large number of passengers to be transported per car / train. In a car or in a train of interconnecting or separated passenger cars, there is a predetermined number of seats and a predetermined amount of free space for standing passengers to line up. In this specification, free space is intended to mean a predetermined space according to predefined criteria that is considered suitable for accommodating standing passengers depending on the average size of the passengers and the optimal distance between them.

[0004] On trains, such as urban railroad trains, it is not uncommon to have more crowded carriages (usually near the entrances of stops) with no empty seats and no free space to accommodate standing passengers, and carriages (usually at both ends of the train) with some empty seats and more free space to accommodate standing passengers. Crowding in motor cars with multiple entrances can also become uneven if passengers are unevenly distributed among the sections of the car associated with the entrances and exits.

[0005] It is desirable for passengers boarding a vehicle or train to have direct access to a section of the carriage or train where there is standing space or where at least one seat is available for those who need to sit. However, oftentimes, if the carriages in a train are not connected, it may not be possible to reach a carriage with an open space or seat after boarding, or it may be very difficult if the passenger has to pass through a crowded carriage. The same is true for long cars, where if a passenger boards a crowded section, it may be difficult to reach an on-board device to validate their travel ticket.

[0006] The prior art, from European Patent Application EP 3476690 from the same applicant, is known a system for managing the space available to passengers in a transport system, which is suitable for continuously monitoring the availability of free standing space, and optionally the availability of seats, in different carriages of a passenger transport train and for signaling said availability to passengers waiting to board a carriage of the train in order to enable them to preemptively move to a carriage with free space. This signal is displayed by display means which are suitable for receiving signals or data indicative of the space available for passengers in the carriages of the train and for providing a signal of the availability or unavailability of free space for passengers in a given section of the train. The display means comprise, for example, light sources integrated into the floor or ceiling of the platform of the station and arranged at the same height as the expected entrance and exit positions of the train carriages, or light sources integrated into the exterior walls of the train carriages at the entrance and exit doors of the carriages. The light source is adapted to light up according to first or second different modes, for example according to two different colours, preferably green to indicate availability of an empty space or seat, and red to indicate unavailability of an empty space or seat. Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, a system that manages the space available to passengers based solely on information about the number of passengers in a carriage or section of a carriage associated with the entrance and exit of a transportation means has difficulty meeting the need for accurate prediction of the space available to passengers due to passenger boarding / alighting.

[0008] The present invention therefore aims to provide a system for informing passengers of the space available, which is as accurate as possible and which integrates the function of monitoring and predicting the number of passengers on a transport vehicle.

[0009] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a system for informing passengers of available space in a transport system having the features of claim 1.

[0010] Particular embodiments form the subject matter of dependent claims, the content of which is to be understood as an integral part of this description.

[0011] In summary, the present invention is based on the principle of providing a system for reporting available spaces for passengers in a transport system according to an estimation of the flow of passengers alighting and boarding, said estimation being based on detection of the number of passengers on board the transport vehicle and the number of people waiting for the transport in a predetermined waiting area at a stop, and on data history, which includes data on the number of passengers on the transport vehicle and congestion data in the waiting area at corresponding or related travel times, e.g. at the same time on different days where passenger habits and / or behavior can be classified as similar, or at the same travel event or conditions, e.g. atmospheric conditions.

[0012] The data history is constantly updated with the arrival and departure times of vehicles at each stop and is used to train machine learning processes designed to estimate passenger drop-off and pick-up flows. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a station in a transportation network where vehicles temporarily stop. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a system for advertising available space, which is the subject of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram representing an embodiment of the programming structure of the signaling system that is the subject of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Further features and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail in the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows, purely diagrammatically, a system for informing passengers of the space available in a transport system, which system is the subject of the present invention.

[0016] The transportation system comprises a plurality of passenger transport means, each of which comprises a plurality of predetermined sections of passenger space associated with a respective doorway. The figure shows a transport means T, such as a train formed by two passenger cars C, each having two sections of passenger space, indicated by reference characters P1 and P2, which can be accessed via corresponding doorways A1 and A2. In general, the sections of passenger space may comprise seats and / or predetermined open spaces for passengers standing side by side. The following description is intended to be understood purely by way of example, and the transport means may also be an automobile vehicle formed by a single passenger car, for example an articulated car.

[0017] Each transport vehicle is designed to circulate between a number of respective stops of the transport network in a given area, and Figure 1 shows a waiting platform P at the stop with one or more waiting areas for passengers waiting for the transport vehicle, with access to the platform possible via two transit areas G.

[0018] A first sensor means S1 is installed on board each transport means T, the first sensor means being adapted to detect in real time the number of passengers in each of the plurality of sections P1, P2 of the passenger space, and the first sensor means being adapted to emit respective signals or data indicative of the occupancy of the space available for passengers in each of the plurality of sections of the passenger space according to the detected number of passengers.

[0019] The sensor means S1 may comprise means for filming the interior of the carriage, e.g. surveillance cameras, such as a plurality of video cameras, preferably one for each section of available space, designed to monitor the occupancy and use of space within the carriage, the filming means being adapted to film a scene in the section relevant to the available space, from which scene an integrated or external image recognition system can determine the number of passengers in the scene.

[0020] The sensor means S1 is adapted in particular to detect the number of passengers when the doorways A1, A2 to the vehicle are closed, for example when the vehicle T is moving between one stop and the next, preferably as soon as the vehicle has closed the doorways.

[0021] The second sensor means S2 are installed in a plurality of predetermined waiting areas at the stop station, for example on the platform P, and the second sensor means are adapted to detect the number of people in each of the waiting areas in real time and emit congestion signals or data for each of the waiting areas according to the detected number of people. Before the transport means T arrives at the stop station, the congestion signals or data can indicate the number of people waiting to board the transport means, and when the transport means departs from the stop station, the congestion signals or data can indicate the flow of passengers disembarking from the transport means that has taken place.

[0022] The sensor means S2 may also comprise means for photographing the platform, e.g. surveillance cameras, such as a plurality of video cameras, preferably one for each predetermined area of ​​the platform, designed to monitor the occupancy and use of the platform space, the photographing means being adapted to photograph a scene in an area associated with the platform from which an integrated or external image recognition system can determine the number of people in the scene.

[0023] Sensor means S3 are also installed in the transit areas G to / from the stations, for example along the mandatory exit paths from the platforms, and this sensor means is adapted to detect the number of people and the flow direction in each transit area in real time and to emit respective transit signals or data according to the detected number of people. Similar to the sensor means S1 and the sensor means S2, the sensor means S3 can also advantageously be designed as a photographing means.

[0024] With reference to the block diagram of Fig. 2, the system further comprises a processing means ECU comprising, for example, a network of processors distributed at the stops and in the transport vehicle, and at least one central control unit, interconnected by cables or via wireless and configured to estimate the space available for passengers in the transport vehicle at a given stop by machine learning algorithms and advanced statistical models. The processing means ECU is adapted to receive from first sensor means S1 signals of occupancy of available space in sections of space reserved for passengers of the transport vehicle T, and from second sensor means S2, S3 signals of congestion in waiting and / or transit areas of the stop to which the transport vehicle T is heading. The figure shows various groups of sensor means and signaling devices, illustrating sets of sensors and display devices installed at the stops (when the transport vehicle is temporarily stopped). Here and hereinafter, the expression "at a predetermined stop" is intended to be understood in a broad sense, in order to provide efficient signaling to people waiting to board a transport vehicle, since the space available for passengers when the transport vehicle is heading to a stop can be estimated in advance of the time when the transport vehicle will arrive at that stop. In one embodiment, processing means are distributed at all stops, from which they receive signals from stopped transport vehicles and from the stops themselves, and the processing means are interconnected in a network, transmitting the detected signals or the results of the processing to the next stop along the transport line. The processing means may also be distributed on board the transport vehicles and communicate with a central unit from here and from the stops. Alternatively, the processing means may be implemented in a single central unit, thereby making it possible to provide wireless transmission of signals or data detected by the on-board sensor means towards the repeater modules at the stops, and to provide cable transmission of signals or data received from the on-board sensor means and of signals or data detected by the sensor means at the stops from the repeater modules to the central unit.

[0025] Advantageously, the space available for passengers on the vehicle is estimated as soon as the vehicle closes its doorway and prepares to depart for the next stop, so as to provide passengers with as much advance notice as possible to give them the maximum amount of time to position themselves in the easiest location to board the vehicle. However, if the departure and arrival stations are sufficiently far apart, or if there are problems with image transmission and processing at the vehicle's departure station, the space available for boarding can be estimated while the vehicle is passing between two stops.

[0026] The learning database DB is connected to the processing means ECU and is adapted to store data history including data on the number of passengers in the sections of the passenger spaces of each transport means, as well as congestion data of waiting areas and / or transit areas for at least one predetermined operating period at arrival times and departure times from stops, respectively.

[0027] The training database is advantageously designed to store passenger count data and congestion data for multiple operating times.

[0028] The learning database is also adapted to store information relating to the occupancy status of transport means, the congestion status of waiting areas, and the flow of passengers dropping off and picking up, for example, information relating to weather conditions that affect the utilization rate of the transport system.

[0029] The processing means ECU is designed to estimate passenger drop-off and boarding flows for each section of space for passengers in the transport means at the stop according to the space occupancy signal, the congestion signal, and the data history in the corresponding or related travel time, and to emit signals or data indicating the estimated space available for passengers according to the estimated drop-off and boarding flows, where the corresponding travel time includes, for example, corresponding travel times on different days of the week, or corresponding travel times on different weeks, or for the same event (even on the same day).

[0030] The processing means ECU is configured to estimate passenger boarding flow at the stop according to congestion data of the waiting area, and to estimate passenger alighting flow at the stop according to congestion data of the transit area of ​​the stop.

[0031] The processing means is also configured to estimate the passenger disembarkation flow at the stop according to historical data referring to a predetermined number of vehicles previously present at the stop, and / or according to historical data during corresponding or related operating hours, and / or according to space occupancy signals or data for sections of space for passengers in vehicles arriving at the stop.

[0032] Advantageously, data that correlates with congestion on the transport means and with movement from one stop to another, i.e., not only with operating times and / or events, but also with exceptions in transport services, weather conditions, and general data that may correlate with occupancy levels of the transport means, may be stored in the learning database BB.

[0033] The signal or data indicating the estimated space available to passengers in the sections of the vehicle is used by a means D for indicating space available to passengers, for example by a light source positioned at the same height as the location or expected location of the entrance and exit sections A1, A2 of the vehicle to the platform of the stop, to provide a signal of availability or unavailability for passengers in each section of the space of the vehicle.

[0034] Advantageously, in a presently preferred embodiment, the signal or data indicative of the estimated space available for passengers is processed to represent each of three occupancy states: a first state in which the relevant section of the passenger space of the vehicle is empty or mostly uncrowded (and therefore the light source of the display means is lit green), a second state in which the relevant section of the passenger space of the vehicle is partially occupied (and therefore the light source of the display means is lit yellow or orange), and a third state in which the relevant section of the passenger space of the vehicle is fully or nearly fully occupied (and therefore the light source of the display means is lit red).

[0035] The processing means also advantageously provide means for updating the learning database DB, which updating means are designed to store in the database current data on the number of passengers and the occupancy of passenger spaces in the sections of the space of the transport means at each arrival and departure time of the transport means at the stop, as well as congestion data for waiting areas and / or transit areas at the stop.

[0036] In one embodiment, the number of passengers is detected at the vehicle's doorway and the occupancy of the passenger space can also be estimated by attributing different weighting to the number of passengers waiting in front of the doorway versus the number of passengers waiting away from the doorway.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of the programming structure of the signaling system that is the subject of the present invention, with a modular architecture.

[0038] Reference number 100 denotes the main module of the signalling system, executed by the processing means ECU, and located in a central unit. A series of configuration files are provided as input to the main module 100. These files contain all the information necessary to operate the sensor means S1, S2, S3 and generally to interact with the external environment. The configuration files also contain a schematic diagram of the transport system to be monitored, such as a list of stops, the geographical location of each stop, the location of the sensor means S2, S3 within each stop, and a list of waiting and / or transit areas to be monitored.

[0039] Once the main module 100 is initialized, it creates several predefined dependent software modules required to operate the system that is the subject of this invention: it launches a series of processes and services, including: a communication services module 110 adapted to receive signals or data from sensor means S1, S2, S3, generally indicated in the figure by 120, and from other possible sensors, generally indicated in the figure by 130 (e.g. laser scanning sensors, weight sensors at the access steps, etc.); a metadata generation module 140 adapted to access services and APIs 145 of the external infrastructure of the stations and transport means; a module 150 for controlling external elements, which module is adapted to be connected via a wireless communication system to controlled external elements 160, such as display means D of stops, a database management module 170, which is adapted to connect to the learning database DB, - several prediction modules, based on machine learning statistical analysis algorithms, including a module 180 for predicting passenger behavior at given operating times or in case of operating events or conditions, a module 190 for predicting the occupancy of the transport means, and a module 200 for predicting the congestion of waiting areas and / or transit areas of stops, a monitoring module 210;

[0040] When all of the previous software modules have been generated, the main module 100 switches to standby and waits for a specific event to occur, such as a command from an external system to deactivate, reset, or control the display device.

[0041] The monitoring module 210 generates virtual elements that are corresponding copies of real elements of the transportation system and are enhanced with data processing functions; that is, it generates a series of processes used to monitor specific real elements of the transportation system. In the example of Figure 3, the monitoring module 210 is coupled to a vehicle module 300 that generates virtual vehicle elements, a waiting area module 310 that generates virtual waiting area elements, and a transit area module 320 that generates virtual transit area elements. Over time, the monitoring module 210 tracks events of interest that occur and are related to the generated virtual elements.

[0042] The vehicle module 300 is associated with respective operational modules, such as an operational module 400 for representing the sensor means S1, an operational module 510 for determining the degree of congestion, and an operational module 420 for estimating the occupancy of the vehicle from the determined degree of congestion.

[0043] The waiting area module 310 and the transit area module 320 are associated with respective operational modules for the transport means, for example an object detector operational module 500 adapted to detect the open state of the access doors etc., operational module 510 acting as sensor means S2, S3 respectively, operational module 520 for detecting events and people's behaviour (for example the amount of people getting off the transport means and the outflow from stops through the transit area at different operating times), and operational module 530 for determining the degree of congestion in the waiting area and the transit area respectively.

[0044] The several modules described can interact with each other to exchange commands and / or information with the external environment, for example the vehicle module 300 may use the module for controlling external elements 150 to command the controlled element 160, for example to switch on and off the light source of a signalling means at a stop.

[0045] In the event that the imaging means constituting the vehicle sensor S1 and the waiting area sensor S2 (or the transit area sensor S3) are unavailable, the system can operate autonomously using machine learning models and, based on historical data, can then use prediction modules 180, 190, 200 to estimate the level of vehicle occupancy or waiting area congestion.

[0046] The communication services module 110 and the metadata generation module 140 are designed to communicate with the sensor means S1, S2, S3, the APIs of the web services and infrastructure 145, and generally all external services, in order to receive all the data necessary for the system to operate, for example, the operating position and direction of the vehicle and the video streams from the video cameras that make up the sensor means S1, S2, in real time.

[0047] The database management module 170 acts as an interface between the processing means ECU and the database BB for retrieving stored historical data and for storing new historical data.

[0048] Advantageously, the system of the present invention allows users of a transport system, e.g., a car or rail public transport system, waiting for their transport in a waiting area at a stop to position themselves at the same level as the entrance / exit point to the arriving transport, following visual cues of the occupancy level of the section of space available inside the transport, so as to position themselves at the same level as the entrance / exit point associated with the section of the transport that is less crowded.

Claims

1. A system for informing passengers of available space in a transport system comprising passenger transports (T), each transport having a plurality of predetermined sections (P1, P2) of passenger space associated with respective entrances (A1, A2) and designed to circulate between a plurality of respective stops in a transport network within a predetermined area, wherein the system: - first sensor means (S1) installed on board each transport means (T), adapted to detect in real time the number of passengers in a plurality of sections (P1, P2) of the passenger space and to emit, according to the detected number of passengers, a respective space occupancy signal or data for each of the plurality of sections of the passenger space; - second sensor means (S2) installed in a number of predetermined waiting areas (P) at the station and / or third sensor means (S3) installed in a number of predetermined transit areas (G) to / from the station in the transport network, the second and / or third sensor means (S2, S3) adapted to detect the number of people in each of the waiting and / or transit areas in real time and to emit respective congestion signals or data in the corresponding waiting and / or transit areas according to the detected number of people; a learning database (DB) adapted to store historical data, each containing data on the number of passengers in a predetermined section (P1, P2) of the passenger space of each transport means (T) and congestion data in predetermined waiting and / or transit areas (P, G) at arrival and departure times from stations during a number of predetermined operating times; - processing means (ECU) configured to estimate the space available for passengers in a given transport means (T) at a given stop, the processing means (ECU) being adapted to receive from first sensor means (S1) space occupancy signals or data in sections of the passenger space (P1, P2) of the transport means (T) and from second and / or third sensor means (S2, S3) congestion signals or data in waiting and / or transit areas (P, G) of the stop for access to the transport means (T), and further designed to estimate passenger alighting flows and passenger onboard flows for each of the sections of the passenger space (P1, P2) according to the space occupancy signals or data, the congestion signals or data and the corresponding or related historical data during the operating hours, and to emit signals or data indicative of the estimated space available for passengers according to the current space occupancy signals or data, the estimated alighting flows and the estimated onboard flows; - means (D) for indicating the availability of space for passengers in the means of transport (T), adapted to receive signals or data indicating the estimated space available for passengers and to provide a signal of the availability of space for passengers or a signal of the unavailability of space for passengers in each of the sections of space for passengers (P1, P2); means for updating a learning database (DB) designed to store in the database data on the number of passengers in the sections (P1, P2) of the passenger spaces of the means of transport (T) and data on the congestion of the waiting and / or transit areas (P, G) at the stations at the departure and arrival times of the means of transport (T) at the stations; A system equipped with

2. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third sensor means (S1, S2, S3) comprise surveillance cameras adapted to detect the number of passengers at the entrances and exits (A1, A2).

3. 3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first sensor means (S1) is adapted to detect the number of passengers when the entrances (A1, A2) to the transport means (T) are closed.

4. 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means (ECU) is configured to estimate passenger boarding flows at the stops according to congestion signals or data of the waiting area (P) and to estimate passenger alighting flows at the stops according to congestion signals or data of the transit area (G) of the stops.

5. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the transit area (G) from the station includes an exit passage from the waiting area (P) of the station.

6. 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means (ECU) is configured to estimate the passenger disembarkation flow at the stop according to historical data referring to a predetermined number of vehicles previously present at the stop.

7. 7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing means (ECU) is configured to estimate passenger alighting flows at stops according to historical data for corresponding or related operating hours.

8. 8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processing means (ECU) is configured to estimate the disembarking flow of passengers at the stops according to space occupancy signals or data in the passenger space sections (P1, P2) of the transport means (T).

9. 9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the learning database (DB) is further adapted to store information correlating with the occupancy status of the means of transport (T), the congestion status of the waiting area (P), and the flow of passengers dropping off and picking up.

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